A day at the lake had my friend group buzzing with excitement, but I felt nauseated and panicked, head between my knees and holding on for dear life.
It had been years since I had ridden on a speedboat. I had forgotten how reactive I could be to the bumps and jolts on the water.
Everyone else welcomed the fun, but as a highly sensitive person, I felt tortured by too much stimulation.
After I stopped hyperventilating, the boat driver offered to take me all the way back to the campsite. But I pointed to a dock on the nearby shore, much closer and more convenient.
The group dropped me off in that solitary place. While I sat alone in the shady woods, watching the group swim and fish far out on the lake, I felt embarrassed and frustrated.
But as tears ran down my face, I sensed God’s comforting presence, and I didn’t feel as lonely. Then He drew my eyes to something beautiful on the dock.
A dozen blue butterflies slowly opened and closed their wings. Their silent and effortless beauty was captivating. God whispered truth to me while I watched them:
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14).
The butterflies didn’t feel a desire to fit in. They didn’t need to be anything else but what they were designed to be — lovely creatures that reflected God’s glory. They simply acted in accordance with how God made them. By their example, God invited me to see myself as fearfully and wonderfully made, even with my high sensitivity.
In His wonderful works, God gives each of us unique and beautiful traits. Perhaps your God-given traits are underappreciated or misunderstood by others. But that doesn’t make them any less valuable in God’s eyes.
Since that day on the dock, God has many times affirmed my value as a highly sensitive person. He brings a special bird to my porch or shows me a beautiful flower in bloom when I feel unaccepted or even criticized for my natural sensitivity. If a butterfly flits across my field of vision when those sad feelings tempt me, I know God is reminding me to praise Him once again for His wonderful works — not only for what I see in creation but for the way He made me.
If you are highly sensitive, quirky or unique compared to your family, coworkers or friend group, remember this: You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Take one step into God’s glorious creation, and you’ll see myriad examples of His design on display. All of God’s creation is fearfully and wonderfully made because our Maker produces only wonderful works. And you are one of them!
Heavenly Father, I praise You because You have made me fearfully and wonderfully. Your works are wonderful, including the ways You have made me different from others. May I learn to value and appreciate Your beautiful design in the ways You have made me highly sensitive, quirky or unique. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
